Kids sit on corpse in school protest

PUPILS at a secondary school in Matabeleland South attacked their acting headmistress for allegedly blocking a hearse carrying the body of their deceased deputy headmaster from entering the school premises so that they could pay their last respects.

The acting headmistress of Mzinyathini High School in Mawabeni, Solani Ncube, is alleged to have blocked a hearse carrying the body of Bhekisipho Phinda from getting into the school premises arguing the school was not a "cemetery or his place of residence".

Phinda (54) died on Saturday and was buried on Tuesday at his homestead in Gongo Village, a few kilometres from the school. During the commotion pupils were reportedly shouting obscenities and making rude gestures at the acting headmistress while chanting "into oyenzayo Solani siyayizonda".

Chaos started after Phinda's relatives and teachers suggested that the hearse, which was coming from Bulawayo, should pass through the school so that pupils and teachers can make their "farewell" to Phinda before he was taken to his homestead.

As part of the protest some of the irate pupils reportedly went on top of the hearse as it stopped at the school gate, asking the driver to open the coffin so that they could bid farewell to their late teacher.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Ncube allegedly fled to her house.

Teachers, who attempted to calm the pupils, had their efforts in vain. Normalcy only returned after the intervention of some community leaders. After their intervention the hearse was allowed to enter the school.

As if that was not enough, Ncube is alleged to have refused to release school chairs for use at Phinda's funeral, much to the chagrin of fellow teachers.

"It was a disgrace to see our boss mobbed by pupils. She blocked the hearse carrying the body of Mr Phinda from entering the school yard so that pupils and teachers could pay their last respects. Out of anger, pupils attacked the headmistress who later fled. I'm shocked this happened at our school considering that Phinda was a senior teacher and he was the one who welcomed Ncube when she joined us. The behaviour she displayed was just unacceptable and I hope authorities will deal with the matter swiftly," said one teacher on condition of anonymity.

Pupils who spoke to B-Metro condemned the headmistress saying they were not regretting their actions.

Ncube was further humiliated when she attended funeral proceedings at Phinda's homestead where she also "declined" to give a speech after villagers and pupils mocked her. Ncube refused to talk to B-Metro.